Dorothy Farrer’s Spring Wood ^Featured

Dorothy Farrer’s Spring Wood is made up of three separate areas of woodland: High Wood, Dorothy Farrer’s Spring Wood and Beddard’s Wood. All three areas have been managed as coppice woodland in the past with timber from the coppicing used for bobbins, swill baskets and charcoal.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust restarted coppicing the nature reserve in 1989 to allow light into the woodland floor, and by 'dead hedging' to fence out deer that browse the young shoots. Coppicing has led to a profusion of wildflowers including violets, bramble and foxglove. Shrubs such as Guelder rose and hazel have also been able to establish. Bluebells are abundant in much of the wood, with patches of wild garlic, early purple orchids and the scarcer herb paris. The reserve is also very rich in mosses, ferns and liverworts.


Bird watchers will appreciate the nature reserve in spring and early summer when the pied and spotted flycatcher, willow warbler, great spotted woodpecker and treecreeper can be seen or heard.

location: South Lakes
project delivered by: Cumbria Wildlife Trust